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Lake Compounce, a family theme park in west-central Connecticut, traces its roots to 1846. The Bristol-based operation claims to be the oldest continuously operating amusement park in North America, but it’s kept up with the times, investing heavily in new rides and attractions. If you and your family would like to camp on your visit to Lake Compounce, you can choose among four campgrounds within 25 miles of the park.

Branch Brook Campground

Just off U.S. Route 6 in Thomaston, Connecticut, Branch Brook Campground (branchbrookct.com) lies 12.5 miles west of Compounce Lake Family Theme Park. Reserved exclusively for RVs, the campground’s 72 sites include 68 with full hookups, three with water and electricity only, and one with no hookups. Cable TV hookups are available at a limited number of sites for campers planning a longer stay. Typically open from early spring until mid-fall, Branch Brook offers a variety of amenities, including a seasonal outdoor swimming pool, fishing pond, bathhouse with restrooms and hot showers, coin-operated laundry facilities, Wi-Fi, camp store, propane service and playground.

Black Rock State Park Campground

Also close to Thomaston is the campground at Black Rock State Park (ct.gov), which features 96 campsites, divided roughly in half between wooded and open sites. Thirteen miles from Compounce Lake, the state park campground offers reduced rates for Connecticut residents. Typically open from late April until late September, the campground has 96 no-hookup sites that can accommodate either tents or self-contained RVs. Recreational activities available to campers include swimming, fishing and hiking. Although the campground’s amenities are limited, they do include restrooms, showers and a sanitary dump station.

Gentile's Campground

Twelve miles west-southwest of Compounce Lake, Gentile’s Campground (gentilescampground.com) near Plymouth prides itself on its family-friendly atmosphere. Although the campground’s primary camping season generally runs from early spring to early fall, it is open all year and offers a limited number of winter and year-round campsites. Most of its sites have water and electricity, and a few also have sewer hookups. Recreational facilities include a seasonal outdoor swimming pool, baseball field, miniature golf course, sand volleybal courtsl, sports courts and horseshoe pits. Other amenities include hot showers, restrooms, picnic grove, convenience store with snack bar, chapel and propane service.

White Memorial Foundation Family Campgrounds

Near Litchfield, White Memorial Conservation Center (whitememorialcc.org) maintains two campgrounds within its 4,000-acre nature preserve. The center lies 22 miles west-northwest of Lake Compounce. The 47 sites at the center’s Point Folly Campground -- set on a peninsula that juts into Bantam Lake -- have no hookups but can accommodate tents or self-contained RVs. Point Folly is usually open from early May to early October. The 18 sites at Windmill Hill Campground sit amid thick pine woods. Typically open from late May to early September, the Windmill Hill sites have no hookups. Campers at both campgrounds have access to all of the center’s facilities, which include a 35-mile network of nature trails, picnic facilities and boat rentals.

About the Author

Don Amerman has spent his entire professional career in the editorial field. For many years he was an editor and writer for The Journal of Commerce. Since 1996 he has been freelancing full-time, writing for a large number of print and online publishers including Gale Group, Charles Scribner’s Sons, Greenwood Publishing, Rock Hill Works and others.

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